Looking for a job? Don’t send out CVs before you read this!

So you’ve got the education that you needed, the knowledge that you wanted, and the position that you are interested in. Time to send out your well-structured and perfect written cover letters and CVs. Wait, have you Googled yourself yet?

According to a recent survey done by CareerBuilder.co.uk, most of the employers these days screen candidates using social networking sites. From the survey, 53% of the employers claimed that they run searches online through social networking sites to research their candidates, and 43% of the employers have decided not to hire after seeing what’s online. The top reasons are:

Around 50% of the employers decided to hire after checking candidates’ online profiles. The top reasons are:

Profile substantiated candidate’s professional qualifications – (61%)

Candidate displayed good communication skills – (41%)

Candidate seemed well-rounded – (37%)

Profile gave a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – (28%)

Candidate was perceived as creative – (24%)

Candidate gave off a professional image – (22%)

Candidate had received awards and accolades – (15%)

Contacts had posted good references about the candidate – (15%)

Numbers don’t lie, I don’t think social media profile is more important than qualifications, but I think what’s online about a person should always be transparent. The data above should not in any way encourage anyone to build a fake online profile to impress employers, what’s online should reflect directly who you really are and what your passion is.